Jay Leno Gives His Expert Opinion On The 2023 Nissan Z
Jay Leno may well be the most experienced car owner in the world. With over 180 cars and 160 motorbikes to his name, he certainly has the background to give his opinions credibility, so when he says something, we listen.
With his ongoing series of Jay Leno’s Garage on YouTube, Leno gets to try plenty of cars. This time, it’s the new 2023 Nissan Z, the latest sports car from the Japanese marque.
Nissan has always tried to make its sports cars affordable. Lower the barrier to entry, and you’ve got plenty of people that can experience the next generation of performance, and Jay loves this about the Z.
It’s powered by a 400 horsepower, twin-turbo V6, and does away with any hybrid power. Just like its the history of the Z sports car, it’s a simple and archaic setup. Jay appreciates this about the car, adding that he loves the way it can be daily driven.
Jonathan Buhler from Nissan North America joins the ex-talk show host in the garage, and he points out a number of features that were dragged from the Z’s history such as the rear lights from the 300ZX and the overall coupe shape from the 240Z. We’ve already discussed these when it was first revealed, but it’s nice to be shown again.
What we haven’t seen yet is under the hood. It’s quite cramped – a bit like the 350Z – but there’s a bit of room for the expected upgrades from the aftermarket. That’s something Jay really enjoys about the idea behind this car. It’s ripe for car enthusiasts with a manual gearbox and a limited slip diff at the rear. And just like Toyota with the Supra, Nissan expects this to be modified.
During the test drive Jay points out his love for the tachometer, and realises the car doesn’t vibrate as much as the outgoing 370Z. It’s got little turbo lag, too.
Jay expresses his interest for the car when it’s finally released, and we’re happy to join him in the excitement.
